1. Field
The present general inventive concept relates to an induction heating type fusing device and an image forming apparatus including the fusing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, a toner is supplied to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image receiving body to form a visible toner image on the image receiving body, the toner image is transferred onto a printing medium such as paper, and the transferred toner image is fused on the printing medium. The fusing process is mainly performed by using heat and pressure to permanently fix the toner onto the printing medium. A fusing device for performing the fusing operation generally includes a heating unit for heating the printing medium, and a pressing unit that presses against the heating unit, by which the printing medium is compressed when the printing medium passes between the pressing unit and the heating unit. Therefore, when the printing medium, on which the toner image is transferred, is conveyed to the fusing device, the printing medium passes between the heating unit and the pressing unit of the fusing device so that the toner image may be fused on the printing medium.
A conventional fusing device includes a fusing roller for generating heat by using a halogen lamp in order to heat the printing medium, and a compressing roller that is elastically adhered to the fusing roller to form a fusing nip. The fusing roller includes the halogen lamp, and a metal supporting pipe, an elastic layer, and a release layer disposed sequentially on the halogen lamp. Heat generated by the halogen lamp is radiated to the supporting pipe, and thus, a temperature of a surface of the fusing roller may be increased.
Another kind of conventional fusing device includes an induction heating type fusing roller for heating the printing medium, and a compressing roller that is elastically adhered to the fusing roller to form the fusing nip. The fusing roller includes a metal supporting pipe, and a heat insulating layer, a metal heating layer, an elastic layer, and a release layer disposed sequentially on the metal supporting pipe. In addition, a magnetic flux generating device is formed on the fusing roller. Thus, heat may be generated by the heating layer by induction heating, and the temperature of the surface of the fusing roller may be increased.